Ballacamaish Fields (Viking Hoard Site)

PROVEN VIKING HOARD SITE — the Ballacamaish Hoard was discovered in 1870 in the parish of Andreas. Contents: 1 silver armlet, 2 silver neck rings, 1 silver finger ring. Dates to the 10th century. Now in the British Museum. Andreas parish is IoM's Viking heartland — highest concentration of Norse carved crosses anywhere on the island. WHY DETECT HERE: Andreas was clearly a wealthy, powerful Norse community (you don't commission expensive carved crosses unless you're rich). The entire parish is prime detecting territory. Flat, productive farmland has been ploughed for centuries, bringing deeper artefacts to the surface. Focus on fields near the church, near Ballacamaish itself, and along the main trackways between settlements. Norse, medieval, and post-medieval finds all probable.